The last time the Philadelphia 76ers saw Kobe Bryant in person, he was tossing up brick after brick against the Wachovia Center backboards, thanks in part to the airtight defense offered by Andre Iguodala. However, in the Sixers’ next meeting with the Lakers, on Friday night, Bryant possessed plenty of pent-up energy after having sat out two games because of a league-mandated suspension.

Iguodala put forth the same kind of effort as in the first matchup, but Bryant was just too much this time. Bryant scored 48 points to carry the Lakers to a 119-93 victory over the weary Sixers in front of a sellout crowd of 18,997 at the Staples Center.

The Sixers, who never led, closed out their six-game Western trip with a 2-4 record, and lost five of seven in their time away from home. Friday night’s loss dropped them below .500 for the first time since they were 10-11 on Dec. 10.

Allen Iverson looked for a time as if he could keep up with Bryant, actually outscoring him by 25-24 in the first half. But Iverson shot only 2 for 11 in the second half and finished with 31 points. Iguodala added 14 and Chris Webber chipped in with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Bryant, meanwhile, was explosive from all over the court. He knocked down all seven of his 3-point attempts and drained 19 of 29 shots overall while adding 10 rebounds.

“Kobe makes shots,” Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. “We would say they were incredible shots if other people were making them, but not Kobe because he does that on an everyday basis.

“Kobe was the story of the game.”

Backcourt mate Smush Parker added a career-high 31 points, and Lamar Odom established a career best with 12 assists. Parker made all five of his 3-point tries, and the Lakers were 13 of 20 as a team and shot 58.5 percent overall from the field.

Bryant sat out games Sunday and Tuesday after getting suspended for delivering a flagrant foul against Memphis’ Mike Miller. Cheeks figured he’d be ready to play a strong game, especially since he shot only 7 for 27 and scored 17 points against the Sixers in their last meeting on Nov. 11.

“It’s obviously going to be a little different for them with Kobe in the lineup,” Cheeks said before the game. “Now he comes back, and after us winning in Philly, he has a little bit more incentive to come out and do the things he’s capable of doing.”

Cheeks was absolutely right.

The Lakers held a 67-52 halftime lead, with their total matching the high allowed in a half by the Sixers this season. Any hopes of a Sixers comeback in the third quarter were dashed by Bryant.

The Sixers trimmed their deficit to nine points, 73-64, when Webber converted a three-point play with 6 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the period. The Sixers slipped a little bit but were within 12 with 2:49 remaining before Bryant took over.

Bryant hit a jumper from just inside the 3-point arc and the ensuing free throw. He then sank 3-balls on his next two shots to finish the quarter with 18 points making 7 of 9 shots and give the Lakers a 94-75 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Sixers never got closer than 15 in the fourth quarter. Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who took Bryant out after the third quarter, put him back in for two minutes and Bryant knocked down his final two shots both 3-pointers.

Before the game, Jackson was asked whether this was a game he would pay to see.

“Probably not,” he said, laughing. “I’m more of a guy that likes team basketball. But for people that like individual efforts, this is a good one.”

And it was, for a half at least. Bryant topped his 17-point performance in Philadelphia relatively quickly. He got his eighth field goal and his 18th point Friday night with 9:53 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

But Iverson, who had made just 15 of 48 shots in his previous two games, turned in one of his most efficient shooting halves of the season. He sank 9 baskets in 11 attempts and finished the half with 25 points, although he committed six turnovers.

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